The British Empire has brought one too many great things to the colonies that it occupied – from railroads across the land, to monuments commemorating the monarchy. However, possibly the most useful element that the English brought to foreign lands is the English language itself. Out of the entire 7.5 Billion people in the world, 1.5 Billion already know how to read, speak, and write in the English language.
Considering that only the people of the North American region speak English as their first language, it is impressive how many people speak it as their second language. If you’re among those who already speak English but is trying to sharpen their vocational skills, you’ve come to the right place. Thanks to the pocket devices we call mobile phones, it is not only super easy to find free eBooks to learn how to speak English, but there are a bunch of apps on the Google Play Store that helps with it.
10 Best Educational apps for Android for young adults and kids
Best free eBooks for learning conversational English
Here we go: Some of the top tools available for you to quickly start learning English, and successfully, too.
1. Free eBooks by Bloomsbury International
If you’re especially trying to learn how to speak and converse in British English, a collection of the finest eBooks from Bloomsbury International, a Quality English School based in London is a great way to begin. The organization publishes new eBooks each month and gives them out for free through their official website, based on English Grammar, Vocabulary, conversation tidbits and a whole lot more.
You can start off by learning just the basics of how to make a conversation in English over texting through their eBook “Text Message Abbreviations”, or create an impressive job resume in English by making the most out of their eBook “How to write a CV in English”. All of the eBooks from Bloomsbury International are available for free, with a collection of more than 33 different eBooks to try from.
2. English Out There series
The problem with learning even the basics of how to speak English is that most learning guides do not take into account what your first language is. In that regard, we did find the English Out There series to not only be a great free resource for beginners to start learning how to speak English, but the fact that is broken down for those with different first languages makes it even better.
The 6 books from the Beginner Level 1 series available for free on BookBoon is broken down based on your first language. There is a separate eBook for Spanish speakers, Korean speakers, Japanese speakers, Chinese speakers, Russian speakers, and even English speakers. This helps you not only understand the book itself in your first language but also helps you learn how to speak the English language as naturally as possible.
3. Everyday Conversations: Learning American English
If you’ve tried to learn the English language long enough, you probably know that the way the British and Americans speak, write, and even read the English language has certain differences. The United States Department of States wants to help you learn how to speak American English as well, which is why they have created a detailed eBook over it.
The eBook is essentially divided into three main sections – “Introductions and Small Talk” to get the basics of having a conversation, “Around Town” to help you know your way around daily tasks such as grocery shopping, and “Pastimes and Activities” to help you build social conversations.
4. I Still Can’t Speak English
Millions of people have learned to read and write the English language up to beginner or even intermediate level, but they don’t feel comfortable speaking it. I Can’t Speak English is a wonderful eBook that is designed to target this shortcoming that stops people from expressing themselves in the English language vocally. The course helps you understand the “Psychology of Speaking English” and then actually speak it by addressing issues such as the methods, corrections, personalizing the language and a whole lot more.
Classic story eBooks for learning English
1. The Adventures of Tom Sawyer
Written by Mark Twain who is considered the father of American Literature, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer has not only become a part of the American education curriculum, but also a classic over the past century. Set on the banks of the Mississippi River discovering the life of Tom Sawyer and his friends who go around seeking adventures, until they stumble upon one that changes everything. From running away to become pirates at a tender and young age, to getting trapped in a cave with a Native American in hopes of unearthing hidden treasures, you’re sure to have a fun ride reading the classic novel.
2. Edgar Allan Poe: Storyteller
While Edgar Allan Poe has a collection of short stories that have created a genre in itself, there are certain special ones that are perfect for early English language learners. Edgar Allan Poe: Storyteller compiles 7 different works of art from the author which includes some of the renowned ones such as The Story of William Wilson, The Tell-Tale Heart, The Mask of the Red Death and others. The books are ideal for those who are past beginners learning and want to try out intermediate to advanced English learning skills.
3. Dracula
The original gothic novel that has led to the creation of the whole “vampires” fantasy world that we love and loathe today, Dracula from 1897 surprisingly holds up even today. The book is based on the infamous creature that supposedly harbors itself in Transylvania: Count Dracula the nocturnal beast that feeds upon the blood of the living and preys on the innocent. But what Dracula has common with the world we live in today is that we are all guided by our innermost desires after all.
Best apps for English learning
1. Duolingo: Learn Languages Free
This language learning app may easily cut the list to be one of the best ones in the business, but when it comes to helping you learn how to speak English, Duolingo is on a whole new level. While you can learn over a dozen languages with the single Duolingo app, there’s even more localized learning for those who are looking to become profoundly good at English.
You start off by selecting the amount of time you’d like to dedicate each day to improve your conversational English, and the app creates a flash-card style quiz for you to sharpen your skills. As you move forward, you’ll not only be able to speak sentences and see if they are pronounced correctly but also pair up with fellow learners and compete with them to master the English language.
2. Hello English: Learn English
The English language has left a significant impact on the Indian subcontinent, and while it wasn’t easy to find an app that works best for Indians trying to learn and speak English with precision, Hello English does the job quite well. The app allows you to set up your course based on a bunch of Indian dialects apart from Hindi (Telugu, Marathi, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali and many others), along with a handful of other languages as well. It also asks you to select a bunch of elements including your age group, the reason for learning and more to create a personalized experience.
3. Memrise: Learn New Languages, Grammar & Vocabulary
It can be hard to come across an English language learning app that does not seem to boring, but Memrise manages to make learning actually fun! You start off by selecting the language you wish to learn and the language you wish to learn it from (19 different languages to choose from), which then takes you to an interplanetary journey of discovery and learning. You get audio aids right with the flashcards to help you understand what the words exactly sound like, and each of your completed exercises rewards you with Experience Points and enjoy real-life video sessions with native speakers.
The fact that you’re reading this post right now shows that’s you’re more than literate in the English language. But for most of us, it is the part of starting a conversation or maintaining it that is the real obstacle. Opentalk is probably one of the coolest language learning social apps that you’ll find out there, connecting people who want to find a way to have better conversations. You can talk to either improve your English language, speak about hobbies or interests and everything in between, and all of this happens as a real-time phone call.
Which of these eBooks and Android apps for learning how to speak English is going to be your inspiration? We’d love to know in the comments section down below.
